Compressor for metal scraps and the like

ABSTRACT

A compressor for forming metal scraps such as chips, turnings and the like, derived from the cutting or shaving process of metals, into solid lumps which have a high specific gravity and are suitable for steel manufacturing by electric furnaces, which comprises a compression casing and an oil-pressure cylinder directly secured to said casing in the same axial direction therewith.

United States Patent Inventor Kunitoshi Tezuka 14-3, 6-chome, Higashi-suna, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan Appl. No. 755,230 Filed Aug. 26, 1968 Patented Feb. 23, 1971 Priority May 30, 1968 Japan 43/36484 COMPRESSOR FOR METAL SCRAPS AND THE LIKE 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 100/215, 100/218,100/232,100/269 Int. Cl B30b 15/30 Field 01 Search 100/215, 218, 232, 269, (inquired) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1922 Keller 100/218UX 2,151,855 3/1939 Kobold lO0/232X 2,244,078 6/1941 Perlberg..... 100/232 2,507,491 5/1950 Crea 100/218UX 2,537,920 l/l95l Smith.. 100/218UX 2,780,987 2/1957 Wall.... IOU/53X 2,934,002 4/1960 Holt 100/232X 2,985,101 5/1961 Hillstrom. lO0/232X 3,129,656 4/1964 Judd l00/232X FOREIGN PATENTS 542,120 l/l932 Germany 100/232 Primary Examiner- Billy J Wilhite Attorney-Tab T. Thein ABSTRACT: A compressor for forming metal scraps such as chips, turnings and the like, derived from the cutting or shaving process of metals, into solid lumps which have a high specific gravity and are suitable for steel manufacturing by electric furnaces, which comprises a compression casing and an oil-pressure cylinder directly secured to said casing in the same axial direction therewith.

PATENTEDFEBZSIQYI 3.564.993

SHEET 2 0F 2 FIG.3

ENVENTOR.

COMPRESSOR FOR METAL SCRAPS AND THE LIKE The present invention relates to a device for compressing or compacting metal scraps such as chips, turnings and the like, derived from the cutting or shaving process of metals by machine tools such as lathes, drilling machines, grinders and the like, into compact, solid lumps suitable for steelmaking by electric furnaces and the like.

The hitherto known compressors for metal-scrap lumps comprise a compression casing and an oil-pressure cylinder joined thereto by a number of tie rods, and are so adapted as to be able to compress into lumps the chips and the like charged into the casing, by reciprocating a force plate in said casing, the plate being mounted to the end of the ram of the cylinder. However, the latter cannot have a very high pressing capacity because the construction of the conventional compressors is such that the casing and the cylinder are joined by the aforementioned tie rods.

Consequently the metal-scrap lumps thus compressed are readily breakable and, as their apparent specific gravity is low, they have a low yield of steel in case of being used in steel manufacturing by an electric furnace, in addition to the fact that the metal-scrap lumps must be charged into the furnace several additional times. If a cylinder having a high pressing capacity should be adopted, the casing and the adjoining means therefor, as well as the cylinder, must be designed to be fairly rigid.

The object of this invention is to provide a compressor of the kind described which is simply constructed but is capable to apply a powerful pressing force to metal scraps such as chips and the like, and thus is able to form solid metal-scrap lumps or blocks which are easily transportable, high in their yield in steel production and high in apparent specific gravity.

The compressor of this invention, according to one of its important features, comprises a straight, cylindrical compression casing whose one end, at least, is open; a fluid-pressure cylinder whose cylinder end is directly fixed to the open end of the casing in the same axial direction; and a force element reciprocably inserted into the casing and joined with the ram of the cylinder.

According to the present invention, it is preferred to adopt a substantially cylindrical compression casing, cylinder and force element, the cylinder having a high pressing capacity, whereby the chips and the like charged into the casing are shaped into compact, substantially cylindrical and solid lumps or blocks through a powerful compression with the force element, by actuating the cylinder. Such cylindrical lumps or blocks can be hardly broken or collapsed, they are easy to transport and high in the yield of steel production, in addition to the fact that one charge into the furnace is enough in case of steel manufacturing by electric furnaces. Noncylindrical (e.g. square-shaped) ones are easier to collapse.

The present invention will be better understood, and additional advantages thereof will become more apparent upon perusal of the following description of an exemplary, preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred, exemplary embodiment of a metal-scrap compressor according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partly cutaway sectional view taken on line lI-Il of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partly cutaway sectional view taken on line III-III of FIG. I in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partly cutaway sectional detail view taken on line IV-IV of FIG. I; and

FIG. 5 is a somewhat schematic perspective view ofa lump of metal scrap made with the compressor according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a compression casing 1 is so constructed as having internally and longitudinally a straight compression recess or hole Ia whose section is substantially circular and cylindrical, open at both ends where flanges 2, 3 are respectively provided. One of said flanges, namely flange 2 is secured to a flange 5 provided at the fore end of an oil-pressure cylinder 4 by means of a plurality of bolts 6 and nuts 7 while the other flange 3 is secured to a flange 9 provided on the rear end of a short, hollow, cylindrical door frame 8 by a plurality of bolts 10 and nuts 11. Thus, compression casing I, oil-pressure cylinder 4 and door frame 8 are arranged and set up mutually in a straight line, with their respective axes substantially aligned.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, a ram 13 of a piston I2, reciprocably inserted in cylinder 4, projects into recess Ia, and a substantially cylindrical force element 14, longitudinally slidably inserted in recess 1a, is connected with the end of ram 13. Pipes l5 and 16 are connected with the rear end as well as the front portion of cylinder 4 for respectively supplying and discharging a hydraulic fluid into said cylinder, as will be explained later in more detail. Force element 14 is shown in FIG. 2, in broken lines, in an advanced position, in the region of door frame 8.

Door frame 8 has substantially the same sectional shape as recess la and has an inner recess or hole 8a communicating in a straight line with compression recess la.

Referring now to FIG. 4, frame 8 is provided with a doorguide slot 17 in the cross-sectional direction relative to the frame; into guide slot 17 is slidably inserted a door 18 which is somewhat wider than the cross section of inner recess 8a. For selectively opening and closing door 18, an oil-pressure cylinder 19 is mounted vertically against a top plate 21 sup ported by a plurality of poles 20 set upright on door frame 8, and the lower of a cylinder ram 22 is connected with door 18.

Hopper means are provided for easing I, in a direction perpendicular to its main axis, as will be described in the following: Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, in an intermediate portion of easing 1 there is provided an oblong feed port 23 whose height is equal to the diameter of recess la and which is in communication in a right-angled direction with said recess, feed port 23 being connected to a hopper box 24 which is identical with feed port 23 in its cross section and is provided with an inlet 25 on the upper side thereof; furthermore, the fore end of hopper box 24 is open so as to communicate with feed port 23.

A lid 26 for inlet 25 is swingably mounted on the fore end of hopper box 24 by way of an axis or shaft 27; as a driving means for opening and closing lid 26, an oil-pressure cylinder 28 is swingably mounted by way of a pivot .30 to brackets 29 provided on the upper face of easing I, the end of a ram 3I of cylinder 28 being connected with the upper side of lid 26 by means of a pin 32. In hopper box 24 is inserted, in a longitudinally slidable manner, a push plate 33 for the purpose of feeding metal-scrap chips, lumps and the like from box 24 into recess la, and push plate 33 is provided on its front side with a semicircular recess or concave face 34 whose curvature is almost equal to that ofthe cross section of recess la. As a means for reciprocating push plate 33, an oil-pressure cylinder 35 is mounted on the back end of box 24, and the end of its ram 36 is connected with push plate 33. Push plate 33 is shown in FIG. 3, in broken lines, in an advanced position, in the region of casing 1.

As best seen in FIG. 2, an outlet 37 of frame 8 is provided with a delivery plate 38 which extends outwardly and serves for discharging the compacted chip lumps.

In operating the compressor according to the present invention, chips, lumps C of metal scraps and the like having e.g. about 0.5 specific gravity and weighing about 500 kg. are first introduced into hopper box 24 through inlet 25 (see FIG. 3) whereafter lid 26 is closed by actuating cylinder 28. Under this condition, push plate 33 is advanced by actuating cylinder 35 up to the position that fits to the arc of the circle of the cross section of compression recess la, as is shown in FIG. 3, and thereby the metal scrap C is sent from hopper box 24 into recess la in which the scrap is subjected to initial compression under a pressure e.g. of250 kg./cm. between the inner side of recess la and semicircular recess 34 of push plate 33.

Thereafter, force element 14 is advanced by actuating cylinder 4 as is shown in FIG. 2, and thereby the metal scrap is forcibly compressed under a pressure e.g. of I000 kg./cm.

between force element 14 and door 18 so that it is shaped into a compact, solid, substantially cylindrical lump identified as Cl (see HQ. 5). Following the recession of push plate 14 to some extent, inner recess 8a is opened by lifting door 18 by means of cylinder 19. Under this condition, push plate 14 is again advanced up to the position of outlet 37 (see FIG. 2),

and thereby the metal-scrap lump Cl is pushed out of outlet 37 and onto delivery plate 38.

The lump Cl is of about 4.5 specific gravity, and constitutes a hard, cylindrical body with a volume of about 0.2 cubic meters.

The inventive compressor may be provided with an actuating system or mechanism as has been disclosed in applicants earlier Pat. No. 3,386,374 dated Jun. 4, 1968, entitled Scrap- Metal Compressor," in F IG. 4 of said patent. Such a mechanism can serve the rams and cylinders of the compressor. ln a conventionally known manner, the aforementioned feed pipes 15, 16 are connected in the system to a source of hydraulic fluid, for example an oil tank. A conventional hydraulic pump may convey the fluid to said pipes, and to similar feed pipes of the other cylinders, over appropriate valves and changeover switches. A pressurized fluid tank may be provided on the discharge side of the hydraulic pump which branches off to the feed pipes by way of a common or master feed pipe by the intermediary of valves. The discharge pipes lead back to the tank either directly or by way of the same valves.

Owing to this arrangement, the respective cylinders 4, 19, 28 and 35 of force element 14, door 18, lid 26 and push plate 33 may be actuated in both directions.-

lt should be noted that the present invention also contemplates the provision of the necessary hydraulic pump or pumps, tank or tanks, solenoid-type valves, and other conventional expedients for the hydraulic cylinders, substantially within the framework of the aforementioned actuating system or mechanism. The changeover valves may be provided, in conjunction with controlling and supervisory devices, depending upon the degree of automation desired when operating the metal-scrap compressor according to the invention.

instead of pressurized-water, oil or other hydraulic-fluid systems, other hydraulic or similar systems may be used to the same effect. The cylinders mentioned in the specification should be considered with these possible mechanical and functional equivalents in mind.

It should also be noted that one or more hydraulic pumps, compressors, or other sources of pressurized fluid may be provided in the actuating system in a conventional manner. The system has not been illustrated herein but should be self-explanatory to those skilled in the art, and also from the abovementioned earlier patent.

lclaim:

l. A compressor for compacting metal scrap, lumps thereof and the like, comprising: a substantially straight, cylindrical compression casing having at least one end open; door means at the other end for selectively opening and closing the latter; a fluid-pressure cylinder having respective frontal cylinder and rear ram ends, said cylinder end being directly attached to said open end of the casing in the same axial direction; a force element reciprocably inserted into said casing and connected to said ram end of the cylinder, for compressing the metal scrap in said casing; a hopper box for said casing, joined thereto at right angles, communicating therewith, and having an inlet for introducing the metal scrap and the like, as well as a hinged lid for said inlet; and a push plate reciprocable in said hopper box for shifting the metal scrap toward said casing.

2. The compressor as defined in claim 1, wherein an intermediate portion of said casing constitutes a feed port through which the metal scrap is introduced, the height of said feed portion being substantially equal to the inner diameter of said casing, at least the adjoining portion of said hopper box having a cross section substantially equal to that of said feed port.

3. The compressor as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the front side of said push plate is sha ed with a semicircular, curved face whose cross section con orms substantially to the arc of the circle of the cross section of said casing.

4. The compressor as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein said door means is disposed at the end of said casing opposite to where said force element is inserted, and is selectively movable in a direction perpendicular to that of said force element, for discharging the compacted metal scrap upon completion of the compressing operation. 

1. A compressor for compacting metal scrap, lumps thereof and the like, comprising: a substantially straight, cylindrical compression casing having at least one end open; door means at the other end for selectively opening and closing the latter; a fluid-pressure cylinder having respective frontal cylinder and rear ram ends, said cylinder end being directly attached to said open end of the casing in the same axial direction; a force element reciprocably inserted into said casing and connected to said ram end of the cylinder, for compressing the metal scrap in said casing; a hopper box for said casing, joined thereto at right angles, communicating therewith, and having an inlet for introducing the metal scrap and the like, as well as a hinged lid for said inlet; and a push plate reciprocable in said hopper box for shifting the metal scrap toward said casing.
 2. The compressor as defined in claim 1, wherein an intermediate portion of said casing constitutes a feed port through which the metal scrap is introduced, the height of said feed portion being substantially equal to the inner diameter of said casing, at least the adjoining portion of said hopper box having a cross section substantially equal to that of said feed port.
 3. The compressor as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the front side of said push plate is shaped with a semicircular, curved face whose cross section conforms substantially to the arc of the circle of the cross section of said casing.
 4. The compressor as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein said door means is disposed at the end of said casing opposite to where said force element is inserted, and is selectively movable in a direction perpendicular to that of said force element, for discharging the compacted metal scrap upon completion of the compressing operation. 